When Leaving is the Hardest Thing
by Ginga aka KTB
Summary: Ace's thoughts on leaving his home and his brother.


Title: When Leaving is the Hardest Thing  
By:Ginga aka KTB  
Disclaimer: Luffy, Shanks, Ace, Ben, Lucky Roo, Yassop, and Shanks' crew is owned by Oda-sama. Thoughts are mine. Nothin else.  
Notes:Here's a little Ace ficcie I came up with. It's short and sweet. I dont think this'll be more than a oneshot, but you all can prove me differently if you want. Good reviews are always nice... OH! and the age thing I have no clue about. I try not to deal with these things sometimes. So if the ages are off, you can politely say something. Thanks! Enjoy!  
  
++++  
When Leaving is the Hardest Thing  
++++  
  
I remember when Shanks left us when I was only 11 years old. It was hard seeing   
some one so close to you leave for what can seem like forever. It was also harder to leave   
someone like your brother for what seems to be even longer. Sure he got along with   
Shanks better than I ever had, but we still had that "family bond" that others couldn't   
break. I mean, we had fun and Shanks just happened to be an added bonus to our games.   
Yet it wasn't till he was about to leave us was when I felt like a third wheel.  
He and my brother spent so much more time together on the ship and in Makino-  
san's bar. I saw Ben once and a while and chatted to him about the seas. I had eating   
matches with Lucky Roo, all of which I lost by a landslide. I had also worked with   
Yassop a bit on some of his little side projects. Yet all this was lost on me when they had   
asked where Luffy was or if I had seen Shanks around. After storming off in a fit of anger   
and complete annoyance I would sit somewhere and just look out at the sea. It had a   
calming and mystifying effect on me, the sea. I knew it was where I would be heading   
when I was old enough, but for now all I could do was stare and watch as the waves   
crashed against rocks, beach and ships alike.  
When I had seen that Luffy had scarred his face, I immediately went into big   
brother mode and panicked. I had never known Luffy to go this far before, but there   
wasn't anything in his life before that he would go to such extremes to do. He really   
wanted to be on that ship. I tugged his ears and pinched his cheeks just to get the point   
through not to do something that stupid again. He knew as much as I did that I was   
teasing him, but I didn't want him purposely getting hurt to prove himself to others, even   
if it was Shanks and his crew.  
It was when he ate the gomu gomu fruit that I began to see that my role as a big   
brother was fading. He stayed close to Shanks after that incident because it was   
announced that they were to leave soon. I was disappointed, but knew that the pirates   
couldn't stay in one place for long and had to travel to where ever they wanted in search   
of adventure. During the time Luffy was away form me, I talked to Ben. He didn't seem   
to mind the company one way or another so I talked with him. He had said something to   
me that still sticks in my mind today. That 'as much as Shanks and Luffy are alike; their   
differences can make all the difference.' I never really understood that phrase until I had   
run into Shanks about nine years later. I think the main difference between them is their   
goals in life. Of course Luffy's was to become the Pirate King, but Shanks doesn't let   
many others know his hopes and desires; and I doubt that Luffy today knows what   
Shanks wants most in life.  
When I had learned about the incident involving both Shanks and Luffy I was   
stunned to say the least. Not only did the redhead pirate save my little brother's life, but   
he had also lost his arm in doing so. Ben told me that it would only effect Shanks   
physically and not in any other way when I had asked. I knew he was strong, but to lose a   
limb for another for friendship... I had never shown Luffy that in his entire life. I felt that   
I had failed him as a protector, a friend, and as a brother. I told Ben that I would be   
saying my good bye then and there and he accepted my decision. I knew he must have   
been suspicious as to why the sudden mood change, but I wasn't up to telling.  
The next morning the ship set off and the village went to the docks to see them   
off. Even the old mayor went, but not me. I stayed in the lighthouse and watched from the   
tower as the ship flowed into the ocean that surrounded it. I knew then that I should have   
felt so much resentment towards Shanks, but I felt as if he took my brother away and in a   
way he did. Luffy changed after that day, for the better or the worse was something that I   
couldn't tell at the time. I saw him being led by Makino-san into the bar and decided to   
go and see him there. I wanted to be there for my brother no matter what feelings I was   
facing at the time. Family was much more important than petty jealousy in all cases.  
I ran as fast as I could to the bar only to be faced with a crowd around the door.   
After apologizing to almost the whole town as I pushed my way into the bar I saw Luffy   
at the bar. I stopped in my steps and turned back around and pushed my way back out the   
door without much an apology to anyone there. He was wearing Shanks' hat.  
I was fuming as I walked down the streets towards the docks. What did I just say   
to myself earlier? That family was more important than petty jealousy? I blew that idea   
out of the water. I knew that Luffy needed a role model in his life and I just had to face   
the fact that I was not going to be that person, no matter what I did with Luffy. I still   
cared for my brother, more than anything really, but I had to understand that I just wasn't   
that person that Luffy would look up to.  
I walked back towards the lighthouse intent on climbing back to the top when I   
saw something floating in the water off to a distance. Unlike my brother, I was able to   
swim and quite well, I might add. I was no expert, but did fairly well even in water with   
rougher waves. I swam out and grabbed the item; soon finding out it was a bag. When I   
got back to shore I looked at the strange bag and decided that it wouldn't hurt to peek   
inside. What I found inside was only some low priced bellies and gems. It wouldn't give   
much when traded in, but it was enough to buy something decent.  
I walked back to town, bag in hand and went to the local pawnshop. The man sat   
at the counter smiled at me when he saw the bag I carried. It was sopping wet, but had   
items that were still salvageable. I handed the man the bag and after he went through it,   
gave me the appropriate amount of bellies that would allow me to buy anything a child   
could want and afford. I thought of getting sweets and toys and possibly something for   
Luffy when I thought of what the use was. I was running a hamster wheel and I needed to   
be freed. I pocketed the money and walked back to the Makino's tavern.  
Luffy was a bit down for the next few days, but I didn't mention it to him. Being   
the little kid he was he would have denied any accusations and would then run to a corner   
and pout for a while. I didn't blame him for what he was feeling; losing your brother   
would always hurt. Luffy did seem happy to see me, but still hulled up into a corner after   
about five seconds of conversation. It was annoying, but Makino-san said that Luffy   
would soon get over it and move on. Which was true, he did eventually, but he still kept   
to himself most of the time. He'd stay by the docks most of the time and watch as the   
ships came and left. I had always wondered if he thought that Shanks would come back,   
but never had enough courage to ask him.  
That hat became another appendage on Luffy. He never went anywhere without it   
and until I yelled at him, went to bed with it still on his head. I knew he missed the guy,   
but I was getting tired of the depressing air he had traveling behind him. It was so   
depressing! I knew Luffy wanted to get out and start on his adventure, but I think he   
understood that he had to wait. After the incident with Shanks it was a wonder how he   
wasn't afraid of the sea all together. Then again, Luffy isn't a normal kid and wanted   
more than anything to be a pirate.  
I, myself, also had the pirate dream in my veins, but not to the extent as Luffy's. I   
wanted to get out there and do something and the surprise, action, and adventure that   
pirates endured was something that gave me so much interest and almost pride. I knew in   
a few years I'd be leaving for my dream, but my mind always went back to Luffy. He   
was my brother after all. I didn't know how I could just leave him, it was bad enough   
Shanks just got up and left him, but now I'd be the one leaving and he'd really have no   
older brother figure left.  
'To leave or not to leave, that is the question.' I must have used that cheesy,   
overused line so many times in my head. I knew in my heart I was going to leave   
eventually, but my mind kept me from going through with it. And as much as I don't   
want it to be Luffy's fault I know it is. Of course, it wasn't intentionally his fault, but   
nonetheless it was. I had talked to him about leaving when I was around fifteen and he   
seemed a bit uneasy about the idea of me leaving. I understand that he was only eleven,   
but I still had the urge in me to leave. The mayor wasn't much help either. Whenever he   
scolded Luffy and me he'd always say that the pirates were up to no good. When word   
got around to him saying that I was considering leaving to join up with pirates, the man   
became outraged and had a nice and very long chat with me about the consequences of   
piracy. Being almost seventeen at the time, I just brushed his warnings off and ran off to   
make trouble with Luffy.  
It was when I had just turned eighteen was when I decided to go. Most of the   
other children in the village that were my age were getting jobs and having families. Me,   
on the other hand, grabbed some of the essentials I needed and packed a little bag and got   
the money of which I saved up for a small boat. I knew once I had enough money and   
things I would be leaving on my journey, to become a pirate.  
I told Luffy of my decision and he seemed to be happy, but also looked a bit   
down. His last important person was going to leave him for their new life in some   
unknown place. The fact that we'd never see each other again kept floating in my mind,   
but I knew that we'd meet one day. It was impossible not to think that. I had wished at   
times that he would come with me, but our goals would have us go our separate ways   
soon enough.  
The day I left seemed to be a solemn lonely day. I was bid farewell by many of   
the townspeople and as I was getting my things ready noticed that Luffy was nowhere to   
be found. It wasn't that I could blame him for not wanting to see me off. I knew he didn't   
want me to leave, but I had to whether he was here to say goodbye or not.  
It wasn't until I saw Makino-san run up the docks when I knew that Luffy would   
be here soon. He always seemed to stay at that tavern and the fact that Makino never left   
him alone in the bar told me that Luffy must be on his way. Sure enough I felt something   
grab onto my arm. I looked down expecting to see Luffy, but almost yelped when I had   
only seen a hand gripping my arm. Looked down the arm and saw it stretched to about a   
few feet away and there stood Luffy getting ready to slingshot himself over to me. I   
didn't know if I was more afraid of Luffy falling in the water at that point or me being   
glomped into the next dimension.  
It was when I saw my brother hurtling towards me I knew that this would be the   
first time he finally got me down, whether it was a wrestling fight or not. I would never   
say that he won of course. It was all a matter of pride at that. Once I felt the force of   
Luffy's rubber body collide into me I felt myself falling towards the wooden planks of   
the deck below. After the initial crash and a scream form Makino-san, I looked up to see   
that Luffy had buried him head in me with a hug. I wrapped my arms around my brother   
and said a little quip that went something like, 'Oh, come now. People are watching.'   
Luffy looked up and I saw that his eyes were red; he had been crying. I gave him a big   
brotherly bear hug and told him to stop his fretting, but he went into little kid mode and   
buried his face back in my stomach. I told him that there was no way we wouldn't see   
each other again and that everyday would be a new adventure for him that he would   
hardly think of me. He of course denied the suggestion, but I believe the more he thought   
about it the idea would be held true.  
I left home that night watching Luffy wave goodbye sadly with tears rolling down   
his face and knew as soon as I was out of sight that I, too would be crying. I also found   
out that night that no matter who Luffy may have idolized, I would still be his brother till   
the end of it all. 


End file.
